Silverstar's Time
by The Broken Mask
Summary: After banishing her Medicine Cat, Silverstar believed that the omen that soured her Leader ceremony had been fulfilled and that she could now lead her Clan in peace. But, a long hidden threat is once again rising to the surface with vengeance on it's mind, threatening to tear the lives of the Clans apart. However, everything is not as it seems on the surface.
1. Allegiances and Prologue

**WindClan**

Leader:  
Silverstar- Silver tabby she cat with green eyes and long, darker tipped fur.

Deputy:  
Nettleclaw - Grey tom cat with dull green eyes.

Medicine Cat:  
Palepelt - Pale cream tom cat with yellow eyes.

Warriors:  
Leafjaw - Brown tom cat with a darker chin and green eyes.  
Brownfoot - Pale brown tom cat with turquoise eyes and darker feet, tail, face and ears.  
Seedtuft - Pale brown she cat with green eyes and a tuft on the end of her tail.  
Waspflight - Yellow tabby tom with part blue part hazel eyes.  
Ambereyes - Amber eyed she cat with scraps of golden fur. Formerly Goldenfur.  
Petalpool - Tortoiseshell she cat with yellow eyes.  
Heatherblaze - Lilac tortoiseshell she cat with blue-green eyes.  
Harestep - Pale brown tom cat with yellow eyes.  
Runningcloud - Golden-brown tom cat with copper coloured eyes.  
Vinestripe - Deep ginger tom cat with prominent tabby stripes and golden eyes.  
Morningshine - Cream she cat with yellow eyes which have pink pupils and a pink nose.  
Aspenface - Grey tom with yellow eyes.  
Badgerpatch - Black and white patched tom with yellow-green eyes.  
Doepounce - Pale red she cat with fawn undersides and mask and orange eyes.  
Nighttail - Black tom with gold eyes.  
Eaglefeather - Brown tom with white speckles and dark blue eyes.  
Longlegs - Cream tom with long legs and yellow-green eyes. Splitting image of Woollyfur.  
Yellowclaw - Yellow tabby she cat with yellow eyes.  
Cherryfang - Tortoiseshell she cat with hazel eyes.  
Dewfall - Bright blue tom cat with white legs, black tail tip and ears and one amber eye and one green eye.  
Rabbitshade - Brown she cat with copper eyes.  
Embermist - Ginger she cat with yellow eyes with pink pupils.  
Honeyeye - Golden-cream she cat with yellow eyes and a pink nose.  
Oatfur - White tom with pale cream patches and yellow eyes.  
Gorsepelt - Brown tabby tom with black dapples and yellow eyes.  
Pebblewhisker - Small grey tom with yellow-green eyes and lighter undersides.  
Sunheart - Gold she cat with gold eyes.  
Snowpelt - White tom cat with black speckles and amber eyes.  
Beewing - Dark gold tabby tom with yellow eyes.  
Darkstorm - Black tom cat with striking orange eyes.  
Brackenstripe - Golden-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.  
Cranberryshine - Golden-brown she cat with dark blue eyes.  
Dawnbreeze - Tortoiseshell she cat with dark blue eyes.  
Brightfire - Pale yellow tabby she cat with yellow eyes and white speckles.  
Dusklight - Pale ginger tom cat with yellow-green eyes.  
Blossomfoot - Tortoiseshell she cat with golden eyes.  
Fawnfur - Pale ginger she cat with blue-green eyes.

Apprentices:  
(None)

Queens:  
Mistspeckle - Pretty light grey she cat with lighter speckles and orange eyes. (Mother to Brownfoot's kits; Stormkit, Fallowkit and Specklekit)  
Foxdawn - Red she cat with amber eyes. (Mother to Dewfall's kit; Vixenkit)

Elders:  
Bluewhisker - Blue she cat with long whiskers and amber eyes.  
Brindleheart - Striped calico she cat with ice blue eyes.  
Rosenose - Black she with off blue eyes and bright pink nose.  
Darkfall - Black tom cat with green eyes.  
Woollyfur - Cream tom cat with dense fur and yellow-green eyes.  
Whiteblossom - White she cat with dark blue eyes.

Kits:  
Stormkit - Pale grey she cat with turquoise eyes.  
Fallowkit - Pale brown she cat with darker face, feet, tail, ears and turquoise eyes.  
Specklekit - Brown tom cat with white speckles and orange eyes.  
Vixenkit - Bright red she cat with black legs and ear tips, white tail tip and amber eyes.

 **ThunderClan**

Leader:  
Redstar - Large, deep ginger tom with amber eyes.

Deputy:  
Birchbranch - White tom cat with black undersides and yellow eyes.

Medicine Cat(s):  
Swallowfang - Brown and white tom cat with ice blue eyes.

Warriors:  
Oakfrost - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.  
Squirrelpool - Grey she cat with a bushy tail and yellow eyes.  
Finchwing - Deep ginger tom cat with amber eyes.  
Poppybriar - Mostly red tortoiseshell she cat with pale yellow eyes.  
Mousenose - Brown tom with yellow eyes.  
Thornstorm - Dark gold tom cat with green eyes.

Queens:  
Vixensong - Calico she cat with yellow eyes. Mute. Medicine Cat. (Mother to Swallowfang's kits; Chestnutkit - Brown tom cat with a paler belly and ice blue eyes, Echokit - Brown she cat with ice blue eyes, Mintkit - White she cat with grey patches and green eyes, Petalkit - Calico she cat with yellow eyes and Stonekit - Grey tom cat with yellow eyes.)

 **ShadowClan**

Leader:  
Lizardstar - Bulky brown tabby tom with dark green eyes.

Deputy:  
Duskfur - Pretty dark tortoiseshell she cat with dark yellow eyes. Former loner.

Medicine Cat:  
Mothspots - Grey and white spotted tom with dark green eyes. **Apprentice:** Grasspaw - Pale brown tom cat with green eyes.

Warriors:  
Breezepetal - Pale grey she cat with sky blue eyes.  
Duststep - Pale grey tom cat with yellow eyes.  
Cloudfoot - White tom with soft grey patches and blue eyes.  
Milkwhisker - White tom cat with blue eyes. Deaf in his left ear.

 **RiverClan**

Leader:  
Reedstar - Pale brown tom cat with green eyes.

Deputy:  
Fallowwhisker - Pale brown she cat with pale green eyes.

Medicine Cat:  
Lionleaf - Tailless golden she cat with brown ears, speckles along her back and tail tuft and hazel eyes.

Warriors:  
Brindlefur - Pale blue-grey tabby tom cat with green eyes.  
Otterfur- Dark brown tom cat with hazel eyes.  
Littletail - Black and white tom with a short, stumpy tail and amber eyes.  
Leopardfire - Off black tom cat with darker spots and yellow eyes.  
Palebriar - White she cat with pale tortoiseshell patches and pale yellow eyes. **Apprentice:** Ripplepaw - Pale grey tom with prominent, swirling tabby stripes and yellow eyes.

Elders:  
Poolfern - Small, light blue-grey she cat with pale green eyes and a swollen shoulder.

* * *

"Vixensong, I don't think I'm ready for this." The silver tabby mewed as she looked down into the hollow, her voice cracking as she tried to find the courage to face what was ahead.  
She felt the calico touch her tail tip to her shoulder, her eyes shining with faith in the moon light as she nodded down to the pool.  
 _I can do this!_  
The silver tabby followed Vixensong down to the Moonpool, following her motions as the Medicine Cat drank from the pool and laid beside it to sleep.  
As she woke up in StarClan, she found herself frozen in place, all of her muscles tense but her eyes fixed wide open as pain rippled through her like claws ripping through her insides.  
Finally, the pain stopped and she exhaled loudly, sharing a look with the almost frightened looking Medicine Cat.  
"Welcome, Silverbreeze." A voice echoed around them, one that sounded like one cat but seemed to belong to all of StarClan. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"  
"Yes. I am." Silverstar forced herself to stand taller, reassuring herself.  
As the first cat came forward, Silverstar burst into smiles, his hazel eyes reflecting her joy. Her father touched the top of her head, a jolt of pain running through her as he spoke.  
"With this life I give you trust in others." Hailshade mewed. "Use it well to care for your Clan and yourself. Trust the cats in your Clan as they trust in you."  
Silverstar watched him go sadly, but perked up as a brown, white and speckled tom came forward, one that Silverstar recognised as Specklefur, the Deputy before her. He looked at her kindly as he touched his nose to her head.  
"With this life I give you clear judgement of character. Use it to see the true nature of cats, kind and harmful alike."  
Her nostalgia soon intensified as Owlfeather appeared, her stomach twisting in a knot of guilt as he raced to her, purring intensely, remembering how she had hurt him.  
"WindClan could not be in better paws." He told her, rubbing his cheek against hers before he stepped back, touching his nose to her head. "With this life I give you second chances. Use it well on those who have changed for the better."  
Silverstar's heart lurched as young grey tom padded up, bounding over to him and licking his head like she did when he was a kit by her belly.  
"Greypaw!" She mewed, her licks becoming more intense. "I'm so sorry you never got to be the Warrior you should have been."  
"It was not my destiny. This, however, is yours." Greypaw mewed as he moved away, although her eyes shone in pride at her wise kit, bending down so he could give her a life. "With this life I give you acceptance of destiny. Use it well to save energy in accepting that there are just some things you cannot change, no matter how much you want to."  
This time, she couldn't hide the pain, her muscles spasming uncontrollably as Greypaw's words sunk into her mind.  
She breathed a sigh of relief as the pain faded away, looking up to see Watersplash there, quickly touching his nose to her head.  
"With this life I give you mercy. Use it well on the cats who deserve it, inside and outside your Clan."  
Silverstar intensely tensed her body, gritting her teeth, as the pain faded. However, she stood upright as a sweet scent approached, the scent of her mother, Hazelstripe.  
"Don't worry, my sweet, I know you'll make a fine Leader." She mewed, her voice soft in pride before she gave her kit a life. "With this life I give you faith in yourself. Use it well to lead your Clan with the same trust in your decisions that those in your care do."  
Silverstar tensed herself for the oncoming pain, but she felt only relief, as if all her self doubt had been lifted.  
The silver tabby's second mentor padded forward next with a bright smile, much to her relief.  
"Remember all my lessons to you, Silverbreeze, most importantly thinking ahead." She mewed, her voice deep in wisdom as she gave Silverstar a life. "With this life I give you forethought. Use it well to see ahead and understand how your actions will affect the future."  
The pain of Willowmist's life struck the tabby hard after the relief of Hazelstripe's, making her crumple. She heard Vixensong jump to her paws, but a kind voice stopped the calico before padding to the new Leader.  
"It has been a long time, my Apprentice." She mewed, making Silverstar burst into joy.  
"Blossomtail! It has. Thank you for everything." The tabby replied as the tortoiseshell gave her a life, smiling as she did so.  
"With this life I give you perseverance. Use it well in difficult times for what is right, no matter how hard it seems."  
By now, Silverstar was getting weak from the pain, loosing her grip on what was going on around her, so she barely noticed Stagstar helping her until he spoke.  
"Welcome, my loyal Deputy." He mewed, smiling with all the wisdom he had when he was alive. "Do not be afraid of what is to come, we are here to support you as are all the living cats of WindClan."  
Silverstar shakily nodded, finally ready for him to give her her last life.  
"With this life I give you hope." Stagstar announced. "Even in the darkest times, hope will guide you through."  
Silverstar tensed up completely as the last shot of pain pulsed through her, for a moment loosing her grip on reality, but being conscious enough to hear Stagstar.  
"I hail you by your new name, Silverstar, for your old life is no more and you have received the nine lives of a Leader. StarClan grants you guardianship of WindClan. Defend it well; care for young and old, honour your ancestors, the traditions of the Warrior Code and live each life with dignity and pride."  
"Silverstar! Silverstar! Silverstar!"  
The silver tabby made herself stand straight as her head stopped spinning, listening to the entirety of StarClan chant her Leader name, Stagstar still stood in front of her, smiling kindly, like a mentor would to a nervous new Apprentice.  
"Thank you, all of you." Silverstar spoke up as the chants died down. "I will lead WindClan the best I can for all of my nine lives. I will make WindClan the most respected Clan by the lake and a place of peace."  
Finally, the area around Silverstar and her Medicine Cat began to fade, but Stagstar stayed solid, the Leader's stomach starting to knot in fear as the former Leader's expression shifted from kind and warm to utterly serious and rather grim before he spoke.  
"Beware one who was not granted what they sought."  
No sooner had the dark brown tabby finished his sentence did the dream sharply end.  
Silverstar's eyes shot open as she loudly let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding, Stagstar's ominous words swirling around and around in her mind, the glazed look in his eyes making the warning even more terrifying to the new Leader.  
She didn't realise she was shaking as she finally noticed that Vixensong was looking at her, her yellow eyes full of worry.  
"L-Let's go back to camp." She stuttered, breaking the silence that had fallen over them, falling into place beside her, just letting her paws walk her back while her mind floated elsewhere.  
 _A cat who was not granted what they sought?_  
Silverstar cast a side glance at her Medicine Cat, feeling regret just for a moment, recalling the omen that had made her a Medicine Cat. However, she scowled as she remembered how the calico walking beside her had murdered the former Leader.  
 _It must be about her. I'll make sure she never hurts another cat again._

"You murdered Stagstar!" Silverstar yowled from the top of Tallrock, her hackles raised and fur fluffed, glaring down at the calico, who looked back in horror as the other cats began to murmur and chatter in disbelief. "You _deliberately_ gave him foxglove seeds instead of poppy seeds, just when he was at his weakest!"  
The she cat felt a pang of guilt as Vixensong shook her head wildly, but fixed a scowl on her face.  
"Did you or did you not give Stagstar foxglove seeds?" She persisted, determined to fulfill this prophecy.  
Vixensong cowered under her scrutiny, looking away from her.  
"Did you or did you not?" Silverstar repeated, her back arching to make herself look even bigger.  
She internally grinned as the calico nodded slowly, sending the other cats into horrified chattering.  
"She wouldn't have done it deliberately!" Vixensong's pesky Apprentice jumped to her side. "She would have been exhausted, taking care of the entire Clan on her own!"  
"Stagstar wouldn't have lived much longer, Silverstar." Bramblenose spoke up from where she was sat, her voice little more than a rasp. "Ryeflower died that way too."  
"You can't be so sure of that, Bramblenose." Silverstar replied, digging through faint memories of the long deceased Medicine Cat, but soon turned the attention back to Vixensong rather than herself. "What about our Queens recently then? Doepounce, Heatherblaze and poor Foxstrike, who died under your watch, not to mention her kits."  
The tabby felt a burst of twisted satisfaction as the calico looked around to the other cats but finding that none of them would speak for the voiceless she cat, until Badgerpatch stepped forward.  
"Kit birth is a dangerous thing, Silverstar. Particularly when we're all weak from Leaf-bare." The black and white tom stubbornly mewed.  
"Silence!" Silverstar yowled louder that she had intended, but all the cats fell silent as she had wanted.  
All the WindClan cats were looking at her with wide, shocked eyes, making the silver tabby almost afraid.  
"Vixensong, you are a danger to our Clan." She announced, making herself stand tall and firm. "Therefore, from this moment on you are banished from WindClan."  
The Clan reacted in horror, except Vixensong. Much to Silverstar's amazement, after a moment, the calico just gave her a curt nod and left Camp, despite Palepelt's protest.  
Silverstar jumped down from Tallrock, hiding her shaking legs as Nettleclaw looked over to her.  
"Don't let him leave Camp alone." She ordered her Deputy as she padded to her Den, away from the questioning eyes of the Clan.  
Only when she was alone did her expression finally fall as she slumped into her nest.  
 _There StarClan. I did it._  
Strangely, Silverstar had never felt as alone as she did now.

Moons later, and full of joy at the arrival of Mistspeckle's new kits, Silverstar took her Clan to the Gathering, not caring that WindClan was the last there, and greeting the other Leaders warmly, telling them all about her kit's new kits, but eventually shutting her jaws to let the aged Lizardstar start the Gathering. She wondered if this would be his last, her mind blocking out what he was saying.  
However, Redstar's voice easily distracted her from her thoughts, making the silver tabby clench her jaw shut as Redstar once again bragged about his Clan, only starting to listen when he mentioned a second Medicine Cat.  
 _Swallowfang doesn't have an Apprentice?_ Silverstar glanced down to the Medicine Cats, freezing for a moment as she spotted a familiar calico pelt among them.  
"Vixensong is no-"  
"Are you mouse-brained?!" Silverstar cut the ThunderClan Leader off in anger, her fur standing on end. "She was banished _for a reason_ , Redstar!"  
"Unlike you, Silverstar," The deep ginger tom mewed calmly, as if he was having a causal conversation. "I acknowledge _all_ the facts before blindly throwing out a perfectly well trained cat and weakening my Clan."  
"She murdered Stagstar!" Silverstar hissed loudly.  
"Not intentionally!" The cream Medicine Cat spoke up to her defiantly.  
"She still murdered him!" Silverstar retorted, leaping down and stalking menacingly towards Palepelt, only for the other Medicine Cats to form a tight circle around the calico.  
"The exhaustion and loneliness you feel isn't just felt by Leaders, Silverstar. Medicine Cats feel it too." The brown and white tom spoke directly to her. "Palepelt has clearly been run off his paws, taking care of WindClan by himself."  
"The Medicine Cat path is just as lonely as yours, Silverstar." Lionleaf added, getting a sharp scowl from the silver tabby, who remembered when she was just an Apprentice who always tripped over her own paws.  
"We are meant to stand apart." ShadowClan 's Medicine Cat hissed, his own back arching to match hers. "We're not meant to form friendships with cats in order to treat all cats equally."  
"You would do well to appreciate Medicine Cats." Newtdapple sternly mewed, like a mother scolding a kit.  
Silverstar looked between them before she finally snapped.  
"I have no quarrel with any of you." She hissed, shoving them aside to spit in the face of her former Clanmate. "You don't deserve to be a Medicine Cat!"  
"That's enough, Silverstar!" Redstar pushed himself between her and the calico, staring her down.  
"She is dangerous! Giving foxglove seeds to sick cats!" Silverstar reminded him, subconsciously unsheathing her claws, seeing the deep ginger tom unsheathe his too.  
"StarClan is unhappy with your fighting!" Lizardstar's voice called out, an echo of his former self.  
"This gathering is over." Reedstar announced.  
The WindClan Leader looked around in panic, seeing ShadowClan and RiverClan leaving quickly.  
"This isn't over." She hissed, fluffing up and sizing herself up against the larger tom.  
For a moment, she saw the cat she completed her Apprenticeship with, she became Deputy alongside and became a Leader with. She saw the ambitious young tom who she had become so close with and had aspired to keep up the peace between their Clans with, before he turned his back.  
"Our Clans will never be at peace as long as I will live!"


	2. Chapter One

A bitter breeze rushed over the moors, ruffling the pelts of the WindClan patrol as they walked back to Camp with jaws full of small pieces of fresh kill, lead by Silverstar.  
"Calm down, Dewfall." A ginger tom cat mewed. "Palepelt is with her."  
"I know, Vinestripe, I know." The blue tom replied, his black tipped tail twitching nervously. "I just have a bad feeling."  
"Don't worry." The lilac tortoiseshell purred gently. "Mistspeckle is with her too."  
Silverstar nodded her agreement with Heatherblaze, smiling gently to the tom as they reached the top of the hollow.  
"Dewfall! Dewfall! Dewfall!" The Clan's three kits sprinted over to him as soon as the group had set paw into Camp.  
"Has she had them?" Dewfall asked keenly.  
"One she kit, Dewfall." Palepelt left the Nursery as the kits nodded excitedly. "Everything is wonderful."  
The blue tom dropped the prey he was holding and raced into the Nursery to see his mate and kit.  
The cream tom mrrowed in laughter, picking up the prey and putting it on the pile with the other cats.  
The kits had followed them after rushing into the Nursery after Dewfall, taking the rabbit that Silverstar had put down and began to take it back to the Nursery, being stopped only by the Leader herself.  
"Haven't you all eaten today?" Silverstar asked, taking the prey from them.  
"We have." Mistspeckle's only tom kit, Specklekit, replied.  
"But Mistspeckle and Foxdawn haven't!" The grey kit, Stormkit, added.  
"Let me take this and you can go back to the Nursery." Silverstar mewed. "The Warriors will be back soon."  
"When will we become Apprentices, Silverstar?" Brownfoot's miniature image quietly asked.  
"Very soon." The silver tabby purred as she ducked into the Nursery, finding Dewfall and Mistspeckle sat beside the new mother, cooing at the little ball of red, black and white fur at her belly.  
"Hello Silverstar." Mistspeckle looked up at her mother as she came in, sweeping her kits to her with her tail. "Thank you for the prey."  
Silverstar nodded, turning to Foxdawn and Dewfall.  
"Have you decided on a name for her yet?" She asked.  
"We were thinking Foxkit." Dewfall replied.  
"But I was Foxkit." Foxdawn gently reminded him. "What about Vixenkit?"  
Silverstar felt her tail tip twitch involuntarily as Dewfall agreed.  
"That's a wonderful name." She managed to get herself to say, turning and leaving the Nursery immediately so that they couldn't see her expression of mild irritation. She didn't want to be reminded of her former Medicine Cat.  
"Silverstar! Palepelt! Help!" Honeyeye wailed as she skidded into Camp, falling over her own paws, her sides heaving and covered in wounds.  
"What's happened to you?" Palepelt mewed in alarm, coming out of his Den with cobwebs and quickly applying them.  
"Where are the rest of your patrol?" Silverstar asked.  
"Towards ThunderClan. The foxes are back..." Honeyeye rasped, being helped to Palepelt's Den by Runningcloud and Pebblewhisker.  
"Dewfall! Heatherblaze! Vinestripe!" Silverstar called out into Camp. "We need to go now!"  
The patrol quickly reformed behind the Leader as they raced across the moors towards ThunderClan, wondering just what had happened to the rest of Honeyeye's patrol.  
As they got close to the border, her eyes widened in horror.  
The rest of the cats in the patrol were battered by fox attacks of varying seriousness and the two foxes they were fighting were leaning over them, a hungry look in their eyes.  
Silverstar launched herself at the biggest of the foxes, going to latch onto it's back, but it saw her before she got close enough, lashing out it's claws and slashing right at her neck, sending her crashing into the ground.  
"Silverstar!" Nettleclaw quickly ran to her side, helping her up, even though his wounds were just as serious.  
"Go for their eyes." She ordered, launching herself back into the fight without a second thought, her claws outstretched to the eyes of the fox distracted by Eaglefeather. With a slice, it howled in pain, it's companion snapping Silverstar up from the air with a bone crushing bite to her shoulder.  
The silver tabby finally felt her vision go black.

When Silverstar opened her eyes again, she found herself in a moonlit clearing, leaves rustling in the gentle breeze that blew over her as she got to her paws. All around her were cats of StarClan, and even though they were relaxed, she found herself extremely tense.  
"Welcome, Silverstar."  
To the silver tabby's horror, it was Honeyeye who spoke to her, starlight shining in her fur.  
"Y-You're dead?" Silverstar padded slowly up to the golden cream she cat, her expression full of sorrow, but the young she cat just nodded.  
"Yes. Not even Palepelt could save me." She mewed gently. "But you've lost your first life."  
"What?"  
However, as the information sunk in, Silverstar noticed a barely visible copy of herself, only a twinkle of light in it's fur.  
"I need to go back!" Silverstar mewed in alarm. "I don't want the other cats to die too!"  
"Be patient, my sweet." Hazelstripe padded out of the crowd of StarClan cats to press her nose into her daughter's flank. "Your body needs to recover from the wounds."  
"Will they be healed?"  
"To the best of StarClan's ability, yes."  
Hazelstripe's answer didn't console Silverstar very much, but the other cats who had given her lives moved forward from the crowd now.  
"You may return to battle now, Silverstar." All their voices seemed to melt into one. "The spirits of StarClan go with you."  
Silverstar felt their strength melt into her, giving her the courage to face what awaited her on her return.

The moment the Leader opened her eyes, she sprung up, only to be met with a sharp pain in her shoulder that made her hiss sharply.  
"Retreat!" She called to her warriors. "Now!"  
Silverstar waited until all the cats had left, supporting Nettleclaw as soon as they had gotten away from the foxes.  
"Dawnbreeze, go warn Palepelt we're on our way." She called to the young she cat, who dashed off with a nod.  
She and Nettleclaw brought up the rear of the group as they got back to Camp, Honeyeye's body in the centre being a painful reminder to the Leader that she doubted this was going to be a one off incident.  
The silver tabby helped her littermate to lie down in the Medicine Den, sitting beside him as Palepelt treated the injured Warriors, Darkstorm soon coming in to help under the Medicine Cat's watchful eye.  
 _He would make a good Deputy._  
"Are you hurt, Silverstar?" The Medicine Cat jolted the Leader out of her thoughts.  
"My shoulder." She replied, shrugging her painful right shoulder to him. "But, it can wait until the others have been seen to."  
"Well, if you insist. Let me at least stop the bleeding first."  
Silverstar let the tom put cobwebs over her now scarring wounds, watching his face contort in confusion when he found her wounds barely bleeding.  
"StarClan?" He asked quietly, his ears folding back when she nodded.  
"She lost a life." Nettleclaw added, his voice barely a whisper as he curled up in his place.  
Palepelt stayed quiet as he studied her shoulder, frowning slightly.  
"Come back soon, Silverstar." He firmly told her before he turned to go to his littermate as he called the cream tom over.  
Sharing a glance with the Deputy, Silverstar left the Den, limping gently to her own Den and settling in her nest, closing her eyes to rest but instead falling asleep.

"Silverstar?"  
The Leader woke up suddenly as the Medicine Cat shook her gently.  
"Sorry, Silverstar." Palepelt mewed when she sat up. "I really need to see your shoulder."  
The tabby blinked at him, shifting so he could see it, her blood gradually feeling colder the longer he took, flinching away when he tapped the joint with a claw.  
"Take this and lay down." He pushed a poppy seed to her. "This will hurt, but it will be quick."  
The tabby nodded slowly, doing as he instructed, restraining herself from lashing out as he twisted her leg.  
"Did that work?" Silverstar hissed.  
"Try walking." Palepelt instructed.  
Silverstar took a few steps in her Den, flexing her shoulder and sighing.  
"How does it feel?" The Medicine Cat sat and watched her.  
"It still hurts as badly as before, but it's easier to move." She replied, going back to her nest.  
"That's what I feared..."  
"Is it permanent?" Silverstar looked up at him with worried eyes.  
"Most likely." Palepelt gently answered.  
"Do I need to retire?"  
"You should consider it."  
As Palepelt left her Den, Silverstar felt a lot of uncertainty about her leadership over the Clan.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hello everyone! Sorry Silverstar's Time is late, I got over the writer's block eventually!  
Seen as I'm on holiday from Uni, I should have a lot more time to work on this and get updates out more frequently!

This time, I have the poll for my next story up already. Hopefully, the more background information on less common characters will help people to decide who they'd like to vote for. It'll remain open until a week after I publish the epilogue, so, there's no rush at all!

Thank you all again for all the support!  
\- Maskie


	3. Chapter Two

As the night rolled on, Silverstar could only shuffle around in her nest, her mind still as active as it was in the daytime.  
Eventually, she rolled onto her paws and left her Den, trotting slowly up to the guard's perch and jumping up alongside her Deputy, as injured as he was.  
"You're still awake?" The tom quietly murmured as she sat down beside him.  
"Yes." She answered simply, looking out over the land.  
"What did Palepelt say about your shoulder?"  
"He thought it will be permanent and that I should consider retiring."  
Silverstar looked over to her littermate after a moment of silence, finding him speechless.  
"I'm not the cat to lead this Clan." He softly mewed.  
"Then who do you think is?"  
"I don't know."  
"I wouldn't worry about it. I won't retire. I'll live out my last life as Leader."  
"Perhaps you should ask Palepelt if StarClan said anything to him when he comes back."  
Silverstar looked at him in confusion and the tom nodded up to the sky in reply, pointing with his nose to the moon.  
"Oh. The meeting."  
The two cats fell into silence again in the still night, sitting as still as a tree, watching out into the area around them, although Silverstar's mind was elsewhere, considering Nettleclaw's words.  
The sudden sound of pawsteps made Silverstar jump to her paws, but Nettleclaw stayed just the same beside her.  
"It's only Palepelt." He quietly told her as the cream tom came into view.  
The Leader jumped down to meet the tom as he came back into Camp, clearly just as distracted as she had been, nearly bumping into the long furred she cat as he went towards his Den.  
"Oh, Silverstar. I didn't see you there. Is everything alright?" He mewed distractedly.  
"Something like that." She slowly replied, trying to read his expression. "Did StarClan say something to you?"  
"No, no, it's not that."  
"Then what is it?"  
"Let's go to your Den and I will tell you."  
The Leader followed him without another word. Whatever it was, it was troubling the Medicine Cat a lot. He waited until she had sat down before he spoke.  
"I managed to spend some time with Mothspots and Grasspaw before the other Medicine Cats came." The cream tom explained. "They said that they'd had a fox attack like ours and that they killed Kinktail."  
"Who is their deputy then?" Silverstar gently prompted, internally wincing when Palepelt looked away.  
"... Duskfur."  
"The loner?" Silverstar gasped, not believing what she was hearing.  
"Yes." Palepelt replied. "She was his mate. I'm not sure if she even believes in StarClan."  
The Leader looked at him, unfortunately finding him completely serious, but also unrelieved of whatever was on his mind.  
"Is there anything else?" She gently asked.  
"I spoke to the other Medicine Cats about your injury." He eventually replied.  
"What did they say?"  
Palepelt shifted uncomfortably in his place before he spoke.  
"They agree that it would probably be permanent." He eventually replied. "Lionleaf said that one of their Warriors had to retire after she damaged her shoulder falling on a rock, even though she had tried to relocate it."  
 _Just like you did._ Silverstar thought as she watched the tom. _He's got something else on his mind.  
_ "Anything else?" Silverstar gently probed.  
"N-No."  
"Good night then, Palepelt."  
"Good night, Silverstar."  
As soon as the Medicine Cat left, the Leader returned to her nest, her mind full of fresh worries.

Silverstar spent the next day watching over her large Clan from the top of Tallrock. Various cats came up to her; Nettleclaw to discuss news from the patrols about more fox scents, Palepelt to check on her shoulder, but what made her happy was to see Mistspeckle's kits, excited to become Apprentices as kits were. After this, her thoughts changed to who should mentor them.  
Only when cats were gathered in Camp that evening with prey did Silverstar make up her mind.  
"Let all cats of WindClan gather below Tallrock for a meeting!" She called, using Stagstar's old call and sitting upright as all the cats gathered, Mistspeckle bringing out her kits from the Nursery.  
"Today we gather to make some new Apprentices." Silverstar announced. "Stormkit, come forward."  
The lively tom bounded forward, his paws barely touching the ground until he stopped before her.  
"Stormkit, you have reached six moons old and it is time for you to become an Apprentice. From this moment on, until you earn your Warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Beewing."  
Silverstar cast a reassuring smile to the clearly nervous new mentor as he stood by Stormpaw's side.  
"Beewing, you are ready to take your first Apprentice. You have shown yourself to be calm and wise. I hope you will pass these traits onto Stormpaw."  
"I will do my best, Silverstar." The golden tabby dipped his head to her before touching noses with his new Apprentice. Silverstar didn't even need to call Fallowkit forward, she padded forward herself.  
"Fallowkit, you have reached six moons old and it is time for you to become an Apprentice. From this moment on, until you earn your Warrior name, you will be known as Fallowpaw. Your mentor will be Snowpelt."  
The new Apprentice smiled shyly at her new mentor as he left the crowd.  
"Snowpelt, you are ready to take an Apprentice. You have shown yourself to be energetic and kind. I hope you pass these traits down to Fallowpaw."  
"Of course." The black-speckled tom touched noses with Fallowpaw, saying something to her as they went back into the crowd.  
"Specklekit, step forward." Silverstar told the final kit, her chest starting to constrain with nerves.  
The kit looked up at her expectantly and, for a brief moment, she saw her own mentor in his place.  
"Specklekit, you have reached six moons old and it is time for you to become an Apprentice. From this moment on, until you earn your Warrior name, you will be known as Specklepaw." She announced. "Your mentor will be Darkstorm."  
The quiet murmurs of confusion as Darkstorm came forward put Silverstar on edge, but thankfully the tom didn't seem to object.  
"Darkstorm, you are ready for your first Apprentice. You have shown yourself to be brave and strong. I hope you pass these traits onto Specklepaw."  
Darkstorm just gave her a nod after touching noses with his new Apprentice as the Clan chanted the new Apprentices' names.  
"Stormpaw! Fallowpaw! Specklepaw!"  
Silverstar was briefly distracted by Sunheart, who chanted as loudly as the other cats, beside her new mate, Brackenstripe.  
 _It's for the best._ She reassured herself, treasuring the momentary sweetness of the feeling that everything would be well now that they had some Apprentices in the Clan.

As Silverstar announced who was going to the Gathering a few days later, she became aware that Palepelt was looking at her with an almost urgent expression. As soon as she had finished, he was already padding towards her so fast that he wasn't quite running.  
"What in StarClan is wrong, Palepelt?" Silverstar asked him, watching his tail tip twitch wildly.  
"I thought you should know that while I was out herb collecting last night, I think I saw Mothspots and Duskfur going towards Moonpool." He told her in a very quiet voice. "Possibly for a leadership ceremony."  
"It can't be for a leadership ceremony." Silverstar found herself speaking before she had thought about what she was saying. "If Lizardstar had died, we would have heard by now."  
"I hope you're right, Silverstar. I really do."  
 _Me too._ Silverstar thought as she watched Palepelt walk away to talk to Darkstorm and Specklepaw.  
"Duskfur is Leader of ShadowClan now?" Nettleclaw mewed in surprise beside her.  
"I really hope not."

The Leader anxiously kneaded the ground as she waited for the cats she was taking to the Gathering with her to join her at the edge of the hollow.  
"Mistspeckle, where are the 'paws?" She called to her kit.  
"They said they were helping Palepelt with the Elders' ticks." The grey she cat replied, briskly going to the Elders' Den and coming out a few moments later with the Medicine Cat and the Apprentices.  
"We just need to wash our paws to get the bile off." Palepelt called over to Silverstar, leading the Apprentices to the dirtplace.  
The Leader grunted in mild annoyance, but waited all the same.  
"Why are you so worried?" Mistspeckle stood by her mother's side as her kneading became harder.  
"I am not worried." Silverstar lied.  
"And hedgehogs fly."  
"I just have a feeling that this Gathering will be a disaster." She quietly answered.  
"You can handle anything they throw at you." Mistspeckle touched her nose to her flank, making the Leader smile a little.  
"Thank you." She breathed.  
However, the silver tabby didn't say a word on the way to the Gathering in a mutual silence with Nettleclaw and Palepelt, imagining the worst in her mind, another Gathering called off by StarClan because the Clans started fighting again.  
As they walked around the marsh, Fallowpaw pointed out another group of cats who were crossing the tree bridge, which only added to Silverstar's nerves as she saw the small figure at the head of it.  
Sure enough, when WindClan arrived on the Island, all the other Clans were already there. The Medicine Cats were all gathered below the tree, chattering together, although Silverstar didn't see a certain calico pelt among them, and the Deputies were sat nearby, with a white and grey tom that she wasn't sure she recognised, but, Duskfur was sat in the branches of the tree with the other Leaders, who seemed to be giving her a cold shoulder.  
 _Oh StarClan._ Silverstar jumped up onto a branch that was roughly in between the new Leader and the other Leaders and tried to make conversation.  
"So, how are you finding leadership?" She asked the she cat.  
"Wonderful!" The tortoiseshell mewed with a sweet voice. "It is a great honour."  
"Do tell her about all the changes you've made, Dusk _fur_." Redstar growled.  
"What changes, Duskstar?" Silverstar asked much more gently.  
"I am still Duskfur." The she cat admitted. "I didn't want to change my name from the one Lizardstar gave me."  
Suddenly, Silverstar felt what Redstar and Reedstar did to the new Leader, but she kept up a neutral and pleasant face.  
"That's sweet. What other news is there from ShadowClan?"  
"Nothing that can't be said in the Gathering to everyone." Reedstar huffed, standing up as Silverstar suppressed an eye roll.

"Let the Gathering begin!" Reedstar yowled out over the noise of the other cats, passing the attention to Redstar once it was quiet.  
"ThunderClan has no new Warriors or Apprentices to announce this Gathering, but it won't be long now." The ginger tom coolly mewed. "Our Apprentices are excelling in their assessments and our Nursery is full of keen kits. ThunderClan is as strong as ever in the approaching newleaf."  
"In WindClan, we have three new Apprentices." Silverstar took the opportunity in Redstar not indicating who should speak next. "Stormpaw, Fallowpaw and Specklepaw, who are being mentored by Beewing, Snowpelt and Darkstorm!"  
"Stormpaw! Fallowpaw! Specklepaw!" The cats chanted for the new Apprentices, who soaked up the attention.  
"Our Queen, Foxdawn, has also given birth to Dewfall's kit." She added. She paused momentarily, deciding if she should mention the fox attack that killed Honeyeye. Concluding that she didn't want the Clan to look weak, she let Reedstar speak.  
"This will be Fallowwhisker's last Gathering before she steps down to have her kits." Reedstar announced. "May we all wish her and her kits the best."  
"Fallowwhisker! Fallowwhisker!" The RiverClan cats started the chanting, but soon all the well wishing cats joined in and the brown she cat was grinning in delight alongside a blue-grey tom that Silverstar presumed was her mate.  
"After the sudden deaths of first Kinktail and then Lizardstar, I have become Leader of ShadowClan with Cloudfoot as my Deputy." Duskfur announced, smiling charismatically as the gathered cats called their names.  
"Duskstar! Cloudfoot! Duskstar! Cloudfoot!"  
"I believe there is something you're not telling them." Redstar coarsely mewed.  
"I was getting to that, Redstar." Duskfur mewed calmly, utterly unphased by Redstar's attempt to get under her fur. "In honour of the late Lizardstar, I have decided to lead under my Deputy name."  
The cats below erupted into bewildered chattering, but Silverstar turned to the moon, finding it completely clear of clouds.  
"StarClan must have accepted this! Look at the moon!" The silver she cat called out.  
"Yes, they did. Thank you for your understanding, Silverstar." Duskfur mewed, casting the long haired tabby a smile. "And they have not spoken against my other ideas to improve Clan life."  
 _Oh no._ Silverstar managed to keep up her cool face as Duskfur gave her another sweet smile and called an end to the Gathering, taking her Clan with her before anyone could protest.  
 _What have you let us into, StarClan?_


	4. Chapter Three

"Palepelt, I need to go to Moonpool to talk to StarClan."  
The wide awake silver tabby she cat was sat before the newly awoken cream tom, who looked at her, processing the words in his mind, before he sat up in his nest, wrapping his tail neatly around his paws and dipping his head to her.  
"Of course, Silverstar." He replied. 'Remember to come to me before you go so you can have your travelling herbs."  
"Don't you need to come with me?" She asked, her head tilting as she watched him.  
"Not unless you would like me to come with you?"  
"That won't be necessary, thank you Palepelt." Silverstar quickly mewed, getting up and turning away before he could protest.  
"As you wish, Silverstar."  
The silver tabby padded out as Nettleclaw was arranging patrols, moving around the crowd until she finally caught his attention.  
"Silverstar! Would you mind taking Dewfall, Darkstorm and Specklepaw out on a hunting patrol?" He called, most of the eyes of the cats in the crowd turning to her.  
"Of course not." She nodded, going to stand beside the three toms as the Deputy finished his assignment.  
Silverstar waited until the dawn patrol had left before taking hers out, naturally heading towards the open area towards ThunderClan.  
"Silverstar!" Specklepaw bounded energetically up to her side. "Darkstorm showed me a place that's really good for hunting! Can we try there?"  
Silverstar looked between all the cats in her patrol; Specklepaw looking enthusiastic, Darkstorm smiling but also a little embarrassed but Dewfall looked completely neutral.  
"Lead the way, Darkstorm." The Leader mewed to the young Warrior, who nodded back and confidently took the Lead, taking them in almost the opposite direction.  
 _He has such natural leadership talent._ The Leader smiled to herself as she let herself slip to the back of the group.  
As they crossed the small thunderpath and walked past the broken halfbridge, she began to get more and more uncomfortable as they got closer to the RiverClan border and Darkstorm didn't seem to be slowing down.  
Only when they started to approach the horseplace did the dark furred tom finally stop.  
"Here. The rabbits usually get scared by the horses and flee here." Darkstorm announced. "May I take Specklepaw for some hunting practice?"  
"Of course. We'll see you back at Camp." The silver tabby nodded, watching the two toms disappear into the distance.  
"There's one over there." Dewfall attracted her attention to a rabbit that lapped up water from the lake edge.  
Silverstar instinctively dropped into a hunting crouch, stalking near silently towards the unaware prey, her green eyes watching it's every twitch.  
Suddenly, when she was only about a fox length away from it, the support beneath her disappeared and she gave out a cry of surprise, alerting the rabbit and sending it scampering away.  
Silverstar sighed as she watched Dewfall chase after it and released herself from the rabbit hole her leg had slipped into.

The night couldn't come fast enough for Silverstar. In all the time she had been hunting, she had only managed to catch a small, scrawny rabbit that would barely be enough for one cat. Her mind was so far away that she just couldn't focus.  
She walked into the Medicine Den as other cats were starting to go to their nests, finding him talking to Embermist.  
"Oh, just a moment please, Embermist." The tom nodded to the Warrior before disappearing into his store.  
Embermist beamed brightly, shuffling in place.  
"Is everything alright, Embermist?" She asked.  
The ginger she cat nodded keenly.  
"I-I think I'm having kits!" She mewed, grinning.  
"Congratulations!" She purred, watching the Warrior's grin expand more as she purred too.  
"I can't wait for them!"  
"Here, Silverstar." Palepelt dropped a bundle of herbs at her paws, saying no more to her as she ate them, instead returning to Embermist.  
The Leader left Camp not long after everyone else had fallen asleep, her walk across the moors under the clear night sky allowing her plenty of time to think.  
 _I wonder what Stagstar thinks of this.  
_ The she cat stopped by the Moonpool river to rest her shoulder, examining it herself with a few licks.  
"Mistletail! I found it!"  
The voice of Swallowfang didn't disturb the silver tabby, the tom just being a shadow in the trees.  
 _Who is Mistletail? Swallowfang doesn't have an Apprentice, does he?  
_ However, Silverstar soon dived back when a grey fox trotted past, probably being able to smell her, and over to the Medicine Cat who was nipping some leaves off a plant.  
 _What in StarClan...?  
_ Neither the Medicine Cat or the fox showed any tension towards each other, acting more like friends and equals.  
"Do we need any more?" The fox spoke in fragments, like a kit learning to talk.  
"No, that's all for tonight. We can find more in the morning." The tom replied.  
The Leader could only watch as the pair went back into the forest together with the herbs, wondering if she was dreaming.  
Eventually, she moved onto Moonpool, realising the effect of the daisy leaves was starting to wear off, laying comfortably on the beach beside it, drinking some of the water and falling asleep.

Silverstar blinked her eyes softly open in the grounds of StarClan, sighing softly as she caught the scent of the cat who had come to speak to her, who wasn't the cat she had hoped to see.  
"Greetings to you too, Silverstar." Hailshade mewed with a hint of sternness, but his eyes sparkling in amusement.  
"Sorry, I was expecting to see someone else." Silverstar licked her chest in embarrassment.  
"StarClan sends the cat you _need_ to see most. Now, tell me, what brought you here so urgently?"  
"I'm worried about everything going on." Silverstar started, soon loosing control of her own jaws. "With Duskfur becoming Leader of ShadowClan and all the changes she claims to have made and the tension between myself and Redstar that I'm terrified will spread to our Clans and the foxes coming back and my shoulder-"  
Hailshade silenced her by raising his tail, closing his eyes with an expression of exasperation and a silent sigh.  
"Duskfur was accepted by StarClan just like you. All she did was choose to keep her old name." He softly told her.  
"But she can't do that! Leaders have star as their suffix _for a reason_!"  
Realisation dawned in the silver tabby's mind as soon as she said it.  
 _I'm starting to sound like Redstar.  
_ Hailshade looked at her as if he could read her thoughts, his hazel eyes as hard as they always were.  
"These problems will not go away overnight, Silverstar." He mewed, in the same soft tone as before. "But they will go. Your strength as a Leader will determine how you make it through these troubling times."  
"But-"  
"Remember what Greypaw told you." Hailshade cut her off again, not letting her speak.  
Silverstar fell silent now, looking away from her father, her mind only filling with more worries.  
"I sense I have not said what you wanted to hear." The small tom stated. "But I hope I have said something that will at least help."  
Silverstar nodded once, not looking back at him as everything began to fade around her.

The Leader woke up gently, remaining beside the pool for a few moments and blinking softly in the dim light of the hollow, trying to process what Hailshade could have been trying to tell her.  
 _"Remember what Greypaw told you."  
_ Silverstar frowned as she thought back to her 9 lives ceremony.  
 _"Use it well to save energy in accepting that there are just some things you cannot change, no matter how much you want to."  
_ The silver tabby frowned harder as she got up and left the pool, limping gently back to Camp without thinking particularly about where her paws were taking her, her thick fur sheltering her from the strangely cold night.  
Casting a single nod to the guard, Longlegs, the Leader paused before heading to her Den, deciding that she needed something to help her sleep.  
As she stepped quietly towards the herb store, she heard Palepelt snoring from his alcove, starting to feel slightly guilty as her eyes fell over his huge store of herbs.  
 _How in StarClan does he know all these?  
_ Her eyes flicked among all the herbs he had, her eyes eventually landing on two piles of small, round, black seeds, which the Leader couldn't tell apart despite knowing their different effects very well. Her mind flashed back to Stagstar, laid in his nest, dead, with Vixensong trying to hide the foxglove seed under her paw.  
 _Nevermind._ She thought. _I'll ask him in the morning.  
_ Leaving the Medicine Den as quietly as she stalked the rabbit, she returned to her own Den, falling asleep much faster than she expected.

Much to her irritation, the first cat that the Leader encountered the next morning wasn't Nettleclaw as she had hoped, but instead Palepelt, his jaws full of some large leaves that he was carrying very gently.  
"Hello, Silverstar." He mewed. "I want to try something if I may."  
"What is it?" Silverstar bit her tongue, preventing herself from lashing out at him when Nettleclaw was the one she wanted to talk to right now.  
"I want to put these dock leaves in your nest." He explained, dropping them beside it. "It usually helps heal physical wounds, but, I want to see if it will help soothe your shoulder."  
"Very well. Thank you, Palepelt." The tabby turned her back to him, starting to weave them in.  
The cream tom evidently hesitated before leaving her in her Den, in temporary peace that lasted only until she set paw outside.  
"Oh! Silverstar!" Nettleclaw quickly left Seedtuft and bounded to her. "How was your trip? What did Stagstar say?"  
"Stagstar didn't say anything." Silverstar replied in a much quieter voice, barely a whisper. "I saw Hailshade."  
Nettleclaw stiffened slightly at the mention of their father, which seemed to prompt Seedtuft to join the conversation, only irritating the Leader further.  
"What did he say?" The Deputy spoke in a tone similar to Silverstar's now.  
"That I shouldn't waste energy and accept things as they are."  
"Did he say anything about Duskfur?"  
"She is ShadowClan's Leader in the eyes of StarClan and does have her nine lives."  
"What about all the changes she's making?"  
"He didn't say anything about them."  
"Anything about Redstar?"  
"No."  
"The foxes?"  
"No."  
"Your shoulder?"  
"No!" The Leader finally lost her patience, her fur starting to stand up in anger.  
"Have you had anymore thoughts about, well, retiring?" Seedtuft gently asked.  
"No!" Silverstar practically shouted at the she cat, her fur on end, her back arched. "I will not retire and that's the end of it!"


End file.
